Reflections: Sifting Realities

I was reading a post from a blogger and he briefly mentioned about guys spitting or "hocking up a loogie" in public.

I mean, what is up with guys who spit regularly in public? I don't care if it'll melt away to nothing by the sun. It's disgusting! Carry a handkerchief, will ya? You'd never catch us limp-wristed queens doing such a nasty habit. (I hope.)

Even worse, I've seen some guys pushing in one side of the nose to close a nostril to push out a wad of mucus out of the other nostril! One, two, three..."EWWWWWW!"

That goes for guys who chew tobacco and just spit out brown or black goo. At least, some of them are considerate by carrying with them a little cup to dispose those goo's. The rest of you, please follow suit.

And if you're sick and coughing up phlegm, don't spit out on the sidewalk. Swallow it back down. *laughing* Run around til you find a napkin or a Kleenex.

Lordy!

...and please do not tell me that them guys who hock out loogies are a turn-on for you!

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I've been having "fun" with posting some stuff from the past. See if you remember these cartoons?


CareBears


He-Man


Inspector Gadget


My Little Pony


Q*Bert


Rainbow Brite


Rubik the Amazing Cube


The Smurfs


ThunderCats


Transformers

ta ta for now...
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Friday morning, for our 5th anniversary, we exchanged one gift since we'd be going out of town. Funny thing was that we both got each other a coat. 5 years and we're starting to think alike, eh? KT had mentioned some time ago that he wanted a light coat for breezy days and got him one. KT got me a sherpa-lined coat that I had pointed out from a year ago, which was certainly a surprise.

Then, after class on Friday afternoon, we zoomed outta town to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It was a nice quiet drive with the sunset and the sceneries from the Bay Bridge to the beach. Sometimes, we all need those quiet moments as a way of relaxing and reflecting.

After we arrived, we checked in at The Shore Inn, a cute little gay motel, located at the entrance of Rehoboth Beach. I'll come back about the inn later. So, after checking in, we headed out for dinner at a nearby restaurant, which we literally ate our dinner in like 1 bite. We were ravenous since we had lunch before noon and didn't get to eat dinner til about 7:30. Afterwards, we went window shopping and took a stroll on the boardwalk.

After that, we headed over to Double L, which is like a minute's walk from the inn. With summer over, there wasn't that many people there...at first. So, KT and I entertained ourselves with one of those touch-sensitive video monitor that offer an array of games. Try playing with a game where you're competing against time, while you're buzzing. Of course, KT was beating me but it was fun.

Later that night, we came back to the inn and hung out at the hot spa. The inn has two hot spas. The one on the ground is a big one which can hold about 10 to 14 people and has those "Christmas" light in the interior of the tub. The one upstairs is smaller, which holds about 5 people. However, the one upstairs isn't Deaf-friendly as there are no lights posted around. Anyways, it was just so relaxing to soak in the hot water. I kept telling KT repeatedly that I want a hot spa for our home. Gotta have one!!

Saturday was a cooler day, which we shopped, literally from 9 to 5, at the outlet malls. At first, we were kinda like careful with our spending but then we kept seeing more and more things that we needed and wanted. So, we looked at each other and we were like the heck with it, let's have fun! Since starting school and reducing hours at work, we had been careful with our budget and did pretty good with it. Well, we were like, we deserve it and it is a special occasion and boy, we did have fun!

If you ever get to Rehoboth Beach and get in the mood for Mexican food, check out La Tolteca. Finally, a place where you can eat the "real" Mexican rice in the East Coast area. So delicious! The other food were not impressionable but alright. The best part was their frozen lime margarita. One glass had me all happy and giddy for the rest of the afternoon of shopping.

Afterwards, we were pooped and came back to the inn to relax. We borrowed a movie from the office, Napoleon Dynomite. O.............k! That was some weird and hilarious movie in the nerd world. I am so not gonna add that movie to my collection as I don't think I'd watch it again.

We went back out shopping at the boardwalk. Before we came, KT was starting to get a sore throat and was sneezing occasionally. By this time, he was "true business" sick. However, he wouldn't let his sniffles and sneezes deter him from celebrating and having fun with this weekend getaway.

We came back and practically hung out all night at the hot spa. I didn't want to do anything else and tire out KT. Again, I found myself raving about the hot spa. That's it. After we get our Master's, one of the first thing I wanna get is a hot spa for our home. Yep, I've been spoiled already!

Sunday, we headed back home. The Shore Inn is a cute inn, which is perfect for a weekend stay. I wouldn't recommend staying there for a week. I say that because our room was a small little room, with a small bathroom and a dorm-sized refrigerator. Don't get me wrong, it was cute. However, the bed had us tossing and turning, along with thin pillows. You had to fold them in half, just to be comfortable. But there were other things that made up for these "negatives". The inn was placed conveniently among places. Right behind was a liquor store. Double L is a minute's walk away. There are a couple of convenience stores close by. Hot spas on the premises. Cats also hang out there. A couple of staff there made us felt welcomed as they signed and fingerspelled a bit and encouraged us to join their happy hour gathering by the spa.

Overall, it was a good weekend and just what we needed. KT is ok now. I think he just needed a good bed and some uninterrupted sleep.

**********

Kekua tagged me with this below, so here goes:

TEN YEARS AGO.....

At 21, I had enrolled at the local community college (SAC). I took a 2 year break from school after withdrawing from another college.

FIVE YEARS AGO.....

I was a senior at Gallaudet and was dating KT. KT and I kept it a secret for 2 months, for valid reasons, before announcing to others about each other. Only Cliff and Manny knew about it from the beginning. It was hard to hide this dating thing from Cliff because Cliff and I were roomies at Benson Hall.

ONE YEAR AGO....

KT and I bought our first home and enrolled at Gally for graduate studies.

YESTERDAY....

Ugh! I was working on a PowerPoint presentation for a class I will teach this Saturday. My disk was out of memory. So, I went to the bookstore to buy a Zip disk. I came back to the computer and attempted to save. However, I failed to read that this particular disk was "read only". I was like, I'm tired, so home I went.

5 SNACKS I ENJOY
*spicy Doritos
*tortilla chips and hot salsa
*Gala apples
*crackers and cheese
*gummy bears

5 SONGS I KNOW THE WORDS TO.....

* I thought I did but can't remmy words right now.

5 THINGS I WOULD DO WITH A MILLION DOLLARS

*pay off bills
*buy a bigger house
*get a new car
*donate to various charities and organizations
*invest the rest

5 THINGS I'D NEVER WEAR

*well, definitely won't wear one of those skimpy Speedos, being big guy
*socks in sandals
*pajamas/loungewear to classes
*an ascot
*tie-dyed shirts

5 BAD HABITS

*not keeping my nails trimmed regularly
*smoking cloves cigarettes
*letting mail pile up in my nightstand drawer before I finally file them away
*procrastinating with camera film development
*(can't think of a 5th one)

5 FAVORITE TOYS

*books
*pager
*cats
*laptop
*(can't think of a 5th one)

5 PEOPLE TO TAG

*witchyrosey
*spunkygoddess
*veevee
*deaf258
*jeffycito

**********

Currently reading:

Drop City

**********

Remember this?


Alvin & The Chipmunks

ta ta for now...
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Today is our 5 year anniversary of being together.

It is impossible for either of us to forget our first encounter at a Halloween party. It is also impossible for us to forget our first date, as well as the second and the third date. Those beginnings will always be with us. *laughing*

Looking back, we've had just great times, along with some tough moments. Nonetheless, we were able to face them together and come out such better people. Overall, our love has grown stronger.

In the last 5 years, we've:

- moved in together
- traveled in various parts of the US
- dealt with terminal illnesses and deaths of certain family members, especially my mother
- bought a house together
- bought a car together
- gone back to school to get our Master's

and so much more!

Kevin, since you've came into my life, I've been a different and better person. Without you, I don't know where I'd be or what kind of person I might have been. However, I believe that I'm a better person because of you and what I've learned from you. Your perspectives on life has open my mind and my eyes. In other words, you taught me so many things that I don't think I would've learned elsewhere.

Your support has been wonderful and unwavering during some of my difficult times, especially during my mother's illness and death. As much as it was frustrating for both of us, you've stood by me and offered help as much as you could. I couldn't have relied on any other person, except you.

My love for you never stops growing. You're always thinking for the best of us. Your companionship is always appreciated, even if I don't always say it. You've put up with some of my "bad days". Some days, I may not like your frank talks but again, you're were thinking for the best. Overall, it is a warm feeling of just having someone next to you, even if there's nothing to say. But still, we communicate by holding hands or playing footsies or reaching over to our tickle spots.

I also see that your love for me grows. You always make me feel special. You know just what to do to make me smile, even when I don't want to. Only you know me so well. Overall, I cannot imagine a life without you. Because of that, I am so ever grateful that you're the love of my life. There could be no better man than you.

Kevin, I love you!

Looking forward to more wonderful years and memories with you...

XOXO
LARRY
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Lately, I've been updating my WishList. There's just so many books I wanna read. Sometimes, I wish the world would just pause, while I relax and read to my heart's content.

This desire kinda reminds me of an old episode of Twilight Zone, "Time Enough At Last". A bookworm reads at any and every opportunity he has. His wife nags him for reading too much. At work, when he takes a lunch break, he goes to the vault and read. One day, he goes to the vault for his break. While he is reading in the closed vault, a nuclear bombs goes off and destroys the human population. He seems to be the only human alive. He realizes that no one can bother him about reading books. So, he goes to a library to read a plethora of books. The show ends with him being frustrated because his coke-bottle glasses fell and broke.

Anyways, I was browsing through the gay books, whether they were gay-themed or written by a gay author. There was something that bothered me about most books. A good number of them are centered around HIV/AIDS. I have nothing against people with HIV or AIDS. It just gives the impression that just about every other gay person has one or the other. Maybe it is rampant in some gay circles. I guess it's just not a frequent reminder in my circles of friends and acquaintances. I prolly could name 5 to 7 people in my circles, with the exception of RAD and other big organizations where I am aware of others having HIV or AIDS. Perhaps, there are more people with HIV or AIDS in my circles but I'm just not aware of it? Perhaps, there's a fear of telling one or two people and it'll spread all over the Deaf-World within seconds?
You often don't read mainstreamed literature where there's almost always a character with cancer, AIDS or other terminal illness. So, why must HIV/AIDS be a frequent "visitor" in gay books? Perhaps, that IS the message...that it is rampant. Or maybe it's just a matter of being open/casual/serious about it.

Another thing that bothered me was the encounters between men and boys, particularly hustlers. I guess it's a reality of life that there are actually young hustlers out there on the streets, trying to survive just like the rest of us are. So, why not in books? However, I'd have to read the book, instead of relying on the description of what exactly is a "boy". A 20 year old is considered a "boy" in the eyes of a 50+ years old.
Perhaps it's a fantasy for some...the daddy/son kind, which doesn't always mean the biological father and son. An example, there is a book about a boarding school in England, where just about all the boys and teachers are gay, except they just don't proclaim themselves to be gay. And, a situation might be like...a boy/teen got busted, by a teacher, for doing something that could be grounds for expulsion. The student is given a choice that he'd better get on his knees and give superb service or else he's outta there. Then, the boy discovers he likes it and seeks more adventures with either the same teacher or other teachers or with his buddies.

I guess lust and sex is the common denominator in some books, regardless if it's mainstreamed or gay. I guess one will eventually read a story of a young girl falling in love with an older guy. I guess gay authors feel why shouldn't a young guy fall for an older guy. Ah well.

However, I do have to applaud some gay books/authors. There are books for gay teens. I think that is wonderful. There were no such thing during my teen years. Perhaps there were some but I wasn't aware of them. By having such literature and other resources available, gay teens are more likely to be empowered in this world and be more comfortable with their sexuality at a younger age.

Then, last night, I came home and found a gay catalog of DVD's in the mail. Pah! There are some American and British gay films with closed captions. It used to be that you had to watch foreign gay films with subtitles. So, I can't wait to check out some of these movies at the local Blockbuster store or via TiVo!

**********

I enjoyed looking up some old tv shows or movies from the 70's and 80's. So, I thought I'd post a couple here.

Remember?


Heathcliff


She-Ra


Danger Mouse (You had to have cable to watch this.)

Well, ta ta...
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Not much to blog about lately, especially when I'm just working and going to school.

Yesterday was a good day. Class was done earlier, so I had a chance to work on a PowerPoint presentation for a class I will teach. Afterwards, I stopped by at Cliff's place and then we both headed over to DuCi to do a couple of errands. Then, we came back to his place and watched X2. Some movies are worth watching over and over again.

**********

Thought I'd post an interesting news. Wal-Mart, the one in Oldmar, Florida, has been awarded an Award of Excellence, by the National Arbor Day Foundation. Here's a news release from Wal-Mart.

The problem is that Wal-Mart was the only store that entered for consideration. Another problem is that despite the planting of trees, to make up for the destruction of 5 acres, some of the trees died. Wal-Mart also created a man-made wetland, despite the fact that they almost always fail, which did in this case.

My question to NADF is why must stores enter their names for consideration? Why can't NADF scout around on landscapes that are considered ecologically safe and sound or have improved over time? The Award of Excellence to Wal-Mart just made the whole she-bang worthless.

Other people have complained as well.

Oh yeah...116,000 current and former employees are suing Wal-Mart because they were denied lunch breaks.

**********

I gotta read Eragon, as a part of the Inheritance trilogy, soon! Eragon is currently being filmed in Hungary, starring John Malkovich and Jeremy Irons.

Interesting to read that the author, Christopher Paolini, is only 21 years old. (Most of the links on Paolini are 2 years old, here's a recent link in the Post.)He was actually home-schooled and graduated at the young age of 15 (earning his diploma via correspondence). His parents thought he was too young to go to college. Instead, Paolini started working on the story about a boy and a dragon. Ta-da, now he has 2 bestsellers and is working on the 3rd book.

¡Que suave!

**********

Whoa! Renee Zellweger has already filed an annulment from country music star, Kenny Chesney. They were married...what...3 months or so? Dang!

**********

Not too long ago, I made some lists of old TV's shows and movies of the 70's and 80's. Yesterday, for some reason, I suddenly remember this cartoon show back in the 80's. I dunno why. Anyways, do you remember this show?


Mister T
It was a cartoon of Mr. T running a gym. Mr. T and his team of gymnasts, fought crime with gymnastics.

Anyways, gotta get busy now. ta ta...
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I am curious of the people's opinion on HIV reports, by switching from codes to names.

Illinois will be joining California and Philadelphia by switching from codes (an identification given instead of names) to names. The reason for this is that the federal government has threatened to cut funds unless names are provided in reports and cases.

Opponents are against this change, citing that the switch will discourage people to come forward for HIV screening/tests/medicine/counseling, etc. Supporters claim that accurancy is the reason for the switch.

I am curious of your opinion on this switch. Do tell!
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Gosh...last week was one LONG week for me and KT. As you might recall, we had classes all weekend that previous weekend. Therefore, we didn't have a chance to "recuperate" for the new week. It's a good thing we only work 3 days out of the week, even though they are LONG work days.

Anyways, last Friday was the monthly Deaf GLBT coffee social. Before that happened, Manny, Cliff, KT and I went Alero in Dupont Circle for dinner. I had been told by people that it was one of the best Mexican restaurant in the DC Metro area. The only good things about Alero was that we had a cute waiter and good margaritas. The food was ok but not impressionable. Overall, I wouldn't recommend Alero to others.

Anyways, after dinner, Cliff and I headed to Starbucks for the social event, while KT and Manny went shopping for a birthday gift. We arrived to Starbucks and there was only 1 other person there. It started off slow but we ended up with 25 people before it was over. So, it was a good turnout. As always, good to see some familiar faces and friends as well as meeting new people.

Afterwards, some people left to Halo. I opted not to go because I didn't feel I was was "dressed" for that environment. So, I stayed behind with Cliff and a few others. Afterwards, we headed over to Cliff's place. KT was supposed to meet me there after Halo.

There was a house party going a couple house down from Cliff's place. You could see Deafies walking around the street with beer bottles and red cups in their hands. I was like...dang, these people have guts to be drinking in public when there was like a police car strolling on the next street. The Deafies were also going through alleys and such. Plus, there was some loud music playing. You could actually feel the music vibration on the sidewalk! Anyways, we get home and chill out by watching some sci-fi shows. Next thing you know, you could see the red and blue light reflecting on the blinds. I peeked out and saw the police car right in the alley. I was thinking that these party-goers were so busted!

We get back to the tv show. Then, I could hear the helicopter flying above, repeatedly. I was like WTF! Later, KT paged me that a friend will spend the night at our place because he lived so far and for me to go ahead home whenever I'm ready. So, I head out and found out that there was a shooting in the area, which explained the police cars and the helicopter. I was like...shit...I had to walk to my car...which was like a block and a half in the dark. But I took comfort knowing that Cliff was watching me go to my car and I saw a couple of ASP brothers, parking a truck.

It's a big difference of comfort level. When you're living in the Gallaudet area, you kinda get used to seeing police cars zooming by to stop some crime or whatever. You get used to various scenarios, both during the day and at night. When you move away from the area, you start to became uncomfortable with that area. Ah well...

Saturday was a good day. Spent some time with Peter, who spent the night at our place. We were watching an episode of Wonder Woman when Peter told me something interesting. Did you know that the stuntwoman for WW/Diana Prince/Lynda Carter was Deaf?

Her name is Kitty O'Neil. She has been hailed as one of the greatest stuntwoman in the world. She was also a stuntwoman for Bionic Woman and Baretta and others. She has done some daring stunts that included driving or water-skiing at some dangerous speed.

Anyways, after that, we went to CMRA's general meeting. Again, good to see some familiar faces and friends.

Yayness to adding Halloween to the Eye Party, next month. So, everyone will be dressed up in costumes. This should be interesting!

Afterwards, Cliff came over and we watched a couple of movies. Finally got to see House of Flying Daggers. The special effects were awesome! Interesting story plot. We were all vee-vee'ing the kissing scenes in this movie.

Team America: World Police was very interesting and hilarious! This is definitely not for those who are easily offended.

Sunday was spent watching football games at a friend's house and at home as well. It was just good to have a relaxing day. Finally, got to watch Poltergeist. I never really got to watch many horror/fantasy movies of the 80's, such as Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm St. and others, because my parents believed they were too demonic to watch. The ones that I did watch were done in secrecy, either at my aunt's house or at my cousin's or somewhere else. Anyways, I guess the movie was alright.

Oh yeah, finally finished reading Faerie War. Not bad, just easy reading. Would definitely read the sequel, Purple Emperor.

Anyways, I better get back to work.

ta ta...

**********

Currently reading:

Star Trek Voyager: Spirit Walk, Book One
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Any time a teacher ask you to decide a deadline for an assignment, take the extended deadline!

The class was given a choice for a 2 week deadline. Well, we thought we could have it done within a week and chose that instead. WRONG! I guess we forgot to include other classes and assignments.

Nonetheless, I'm positive I'll get this stuff done, hopefully by tonight, even if I have to stay up late. Then, I can move on with other stuff.

Well, at least, I'll have next week/end free instead of having to finish this assignment.

ta ta...
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Got tagged by WitchyRosey!

Three names you go by:

* Larry

* Litch

* Beans (uttered by family members)

Three screennames you have had:

* GallyTX

* SouthtoEast

* ROWLarry

Three physical things you like about yourself:

* my smile

* my eyes

* my mind

Three things you hate about yourself:

* my lack of discipline to sit down and write more poems and a book

* uncertainty

* ugh...maybe I don't hate myself that much...

Three things that scare you:

* snakes

* losing loved ones

* sharks

Three of your everyday essentials:

* pager

* purse (man bag)

* hearing aid

Three things you are wearing right now:

* red plaid shirt

* navy blue pants

* red shoes

Three of your favorite bands/artists:

* Madonna

* Alanis Morrissette

* Missy Elliot

Three of your favorite songs at present: (Sorry, I'm not updated, so bear with those old favorite songs of mine)

* Madonna's "Vogue"

* Faith Hill's "Breathe"

* Shania Twain's "When You Kiss Me"

Three new things I want to try in the next twelve months:

* Travel out of the country

* Start writing again

* Get numerous rolls of film developed and organize photo albums

Three things you want/have in a relationship:

* open communication

* a lot of smiles, hugs, and laughters

* equal rights as with others

Two truths and a lie:

* I went to Bible college.

* I was a cashier for an organic food store.

* I was arrested for public lewdness.

Three physical things about the opposite (SAME) sex that appeal to you:

* smile and eyes

* hairy chest

* hands

Three things you just can't do:

* dissect a pig (skipped classes on purpose)

* scuba diving (I'd be hyperventilating about sharks!)

* participate in Fear Factor (I'd be the first to lose.)

Three of my favorite hobbies:

* Reading

* Writing

* Collecting Curious George and Wonder Woman stuff

Three things you want to do really bad right now:

* Go on a vacation with KT

* Meet up with my bitchy sisters, Cliff and Kekua, and have a good laugh.

* Get on a chaise and just read to my heart's content.

Three careers you are considering:

* an author

* a professor

* a business owner

Three places you want to go on vacation:

* Germany

* England

* Spain

Three kids names:

* girl - Raven

* boy - Andres

* (a name that KT and I will hold until it becomes a reality)

Three things you want to do before you die:

* publish a book

* fly a helicopter

* own a business

Three people to tag:

* eiffilc

* kalaukeki

* SpunkyGoddess

******************************

This week, KT and I will be so tired. We didn't have a "free" weekend since we had classes with Dr. Rachel Stone. (Yes, that same Dr. Rachel Stone from Riverside Community College in California.) She flew in Friday afternoon for classes on Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday on curriculum development. It has been interesting as we learned so many things about the education system and curriculum development and criteria.

We'll be having online and videophone sessions with Dr. Stone throughout the semester. We also have one more weekend class sessions in November.

Overall, I've enjoyed learning about Dr. Stone and her background, as well as her experiences in the education system and ASL teaching. I look forward to learning more from her.

******************************

After our weekend classes, KT and I were just too tired to do anything. So, we decided to watch a movie, Cube Zero. Ugh, don't bother watching this film. What a waste of time. The first movie, Cube, was interesting. They should've stopped with the first movie and not have made a sequel.

Well, ta ta for now...
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I saw some bloggers using this job prediction by simply entering your name. So, I thought I'd try it out.

I put in my first and last names: Prime Minister

Wrong country.

Then, I just put in my first name: Dodgem Driver

O....k.

Job Predictor Link

******************************

Anyways, I had heard about this movie but kept forgetting to blog about it. The movie I'm talking about is Hellbent. Hellbent will be the first gay slasher movie to be released in October. I am curious to see it as 5 guys struggle to stay alive by escaping from a slasher. The problem is that they're at the Halloween Carnival in West Hollywood, where everyone is wearing a costume. So, who's the killer?

Ah, a perfect gay date?

ta ta for now...
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The Labor Day weekend was a long one for me since I was off from work from Friday til Tuesday. I practically did nothing but relaxed, along with my babe.

It was sooo good to see Brad once again, after 5 years! :-) That little princess certainly has grown up. His sense of humor remains the same.

Friday's class was interesting, which is pretty much the same as Tuesday's class on second language acquisition and theories.

Afterwards, we went walking for a total of 2 miles on the track. Came home, along with Cliff and had a good dinner. Since KT was planning to watch a football game that night, Cliff and I decided to catch a movie.

We decided to go see The Cave at a new theatre in Largo. We get there, paid for admission, grabbed the panels for the rear view captioning, got our drinks and settled in our seats. As usual, the movie opened with previews. Then, the movie started. Well, guess what? The captions were off. GRRR!!! Why does this happen?!?!

So, I got up and went to see the manager and informed him about the captions not working. He said he'll inform the guy upstairs and for me to go back. So, back I went. We sat for like 10 or 15 minutes before I got up again to see the manager. He said it was broken and the guy was trying to fix it and that it'll come on soon. Back I went but I stood on the walkway, instead of getting back to my seat. After about 5 minutes, I knew we'd just be wasting our time. So, Cliff gathered up our stuff and we headed back to the manager. The manager was persistent that we go back and wait for the captions to come on. I was like...we already wasted 25 minutes of "being in the dark". It's time for our money back and get out. It took a couple of tries before the manager finally agreed to give us our money back. And this was a new movie theatre with a "broken" display of captions? Whateva.

So, we headed over to Cliff's place and watched The Ring 2. Very interesting movie.

Saturday, Brad, Imran, Masa and Emerson hosted a BBQ over at Brad's place. We had a good time there and had the chance to meet other queers there that I had seen on campus or around town but had never been officially introduced. There was about 30 people that showed up, if not more. Overall, everyone had a great time there!

Sunday was spent on watching some flicks at home.

A Home at the End of the World, starring Colin Farrell, was an interesting movie. It had me welling up tears in my eyes. Colin Farrell did a good job playing such a laidback and easy-going guy. I definitely recommend this movie.

It's All About Love, starring Joaquin Phoenix, was an interesting suspense film. In 2025, a famed ice skater and her husband, on the brink of divorce, find themselves helping each other escape from a disturbing plan, while the world is suffering from a strange phenomenon.

In the Cut, starring Meg Ryan, was interesting as well but predictable. I was surprised that I had never heard of this film, especially since I do like Meg Ryan. This is film is definitely not one of those romantic comedy films that she usually appears in. Lots of sex and nudity in this film, you can even catch a couple brief nude shots of Mark Ruffalo, as Detective Malloy, here.

Oh yeah...Rehnquist passed away.

I forgot when it was but did anyone see that Live Report when Bush was in Louisiana to meet with some "important people" on how to work with the aftermath of Katrina? It just seems that everyone was just taking their sweet time and talking soooo slow as if this wasn't an urgent situation. I had to laugh when it was said that Bush will stop by a couple of cities, including Biloxi. However, he'll only tour New Orleans via helicopter. You were afraid, weren't you?

Monday was also a relaxing day and caught up on homework. Then, spent the rest of the day reading Jeff Lindsay's Darkly Dreaming Dexter. It's an interesting book because Dexter Morgan is a serial killer with a "voice" in his head, who kills bad people, such as a priest who was a pedophile. Dexter is a lab technician for the police, helping them catch serial killers in Miami.

Tuesday, KT and I were back in school. We finally got our Practicum schedule. I'll be working with Rodney, a fellow frat brother of mine. I'm excited to get this practicum started, which will help me prepare for my internship next semester.

I also got to pick up materials for the 2 class sessions I'll be teaching on baby signs for hearing parents of hearing babies. What's even more exciting was that I was asked to develop a tentative signing cirriculum for children up to 3 year olds. So, that'll be a good project for me to work on this semester.

Got up earlier this morning because KT was supposed to have jury duty. However, he was able to have it rescheduled until next summer because he's a student. So, he's excited about that because he didn't want to miss his practicum.

Before I close, KT and I had set up a group with MSN. Basically, we're just sending out weekly notification of events by Deaf and/or gay communities and organizations in the DC Metro area. If you're interesting to be on our mailing list, send an email to DQDCMetro(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Oh yeah, DeafSpot has set up a Deaf Blog Directory. It's relatively new. So, add your blog if you don't see yours on there.

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Currently Reading:

Herbie Brennan's Faerie Wars

ta ta...
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Today, Dr. I. King Jordan, the first Deaf president of Gallaudet University, announced his upcoming retirement, which will be effective December 31, 2006.

Dr. Glenn Anderson, Chair of Gallaudet's Board of Trustees, announced that a national search will begin after the BOT meeting in October for the next president.
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Hurricane Katrina has really left some disastrious results in Louisiana, Mississippi and other places. These people are really feeling/suffering from the aftermath of her wrath. I just cannot imagine being in their situation. I can just imagine the high levels of frustration and anguish.

Looting is rampant. Helicopters are being shot at. One man shot his sister in the head over a bag of ice. I can just imagine it's just crazy out there and helplessness is overpowering. It's gonna take years for this city to rebuild itself and clean out the toxins and such stuff.

However, I need to get a few things off my chest. What is it with people saying that what happened to New Orleans is a punishment from God?!? I mean really! Just consider yourself lucky because you're not living in that area. You'd be singing a different tune if and when disaster strikes your area.

One thing that gets me is that people use religion and forsake logic and science. I know that there are people who believe that religion and science do not go hand in hand. I, on the other hand, believe that it is possible. However, in this situation with Katrina, it is purely science.

Get it in your head that Katrina was one mofo hurricane, with winds going as high as 145 mph, if not more. New Orleans was just is disaster waiting to happen because it was built below sea level. Warnings of flood had been issued. And that's what happened.

Some people and bloggers say that it happened to Nawlins because it's a sin city, filled with gambling, sex, alcohol and such stuff. Hello! Just about every other city has those things...maybe not on a grand scale such as Nawlins and Las Vegas. If it happened to DC, what then? Oh, because of political corruption? If it happened to NYC, what then? Oh, because of sex and drugs? If it happened to Miami or Texas, what then? Oh, because the Mexicans and the Hispanics are doing "it" like rabbits instead of waiting til marriage? Let's cease finding sins as the reasons for natural phenomena of the skies, seas and lands and use science to figure out these things. If and when a supernatural or an unexplainable situation ever occur, then we can use religion and sacred texts to obtain some answers.

Before I close, I'd like to provide a couple links if you'll like to donate funds, big or small, to those suffering from Katrina:

American Red Cross

Rainbow World Fund

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What is it with people telling us to be grateful for paying 3 bucks a gallon while the rest of the world are paying more? It's not a matter of being ungrateful. It's a matter of the Americans' reaction to the fast rising prices of gas. If the world is used to paying so much for gas, good for them. We have had been paying what we're used to paying. When something changes, you react.

Let's say you've been going to McDonald's for quite some time and eating their Quarter Pounder for $1.49. One day, you come in and place your usual order and shell out the exact amount. You find out that it's now $1.99 or $2.19. Believe me, you're gonna say, "hey, WTF?!?" It's a reaction to change.

Creatures of habit, we are.

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Does Larry Kramer shit bricks when he reads/hears about these news:

41% of Gay Men Who Meet Online for Sex Go Unprotected

Men Rely Low HIV Viral Loads for "Safe" Unprotected Sex

High Rate of Errors on Condom Usage

Uncertainty of Condoms

Wrong Lab Results on Herpes

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Anyways, better shut up for now and try to think of positive things for the rest of the day.

ta ta...
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